Today we’d like to introduce you to Sharon Yu.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Sharon. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am a therapist in Highland Park. I love what I do and the conversations I have with my clients. It’s been a deeply meaningful and pleasantly surprising road getting to run my practice, and this is where I’ll stay for a while.
I was born in Taiwan, Taipei, and moved to Vancouver at nine years old. I was just old enough to have memories of a completely different life but also just young enough to quickly absorb an entirely new language and culture. Growing up, it felt like I had a secret superpower to be able to flip back and forth between two vastly different cultures’ traditions, mentalities, value systems, and languages. I couldn’t put it into words then, but that was probably the beginning of learning empathy for people of different backgrounds and curiosity for things that appear similar on the outside but are worlds apart in actuality.
I suppose the combination of being a therapist and running a business was always in the cards in that I grew up watching my dad’s drive for success in his career, and my mom’s coming into her own by pursuing a college degree at the age of 61. To me, being a therapist-entrepreneur is about possibilities, renewed hope, and a chance to begin whenever. It’s about creating space to serve the clients I work best with, and knowing that I, along with everyone else, can be of impact to someone today.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Although I started my career right out of graduate school at 24, the process of discovering who I am as a therapist and connecting the dots with my identities – woman, a woman of color, Chinese, Chinese-American, a partner, a person of faith, mother, a business owner – was something I had to wrestle with continuously. It will always be something I need to do to become a better therapist as well as establish a good foundation for my business.
My advice for other women, particularly young women who are just starting their journey, is to find good mentors, stay steady in what they’re already doing well, and be open to changing their minds about things. It’s not a linear road, and it’s definitely not without its fair share of confusion, so surround yourself with good people and know how to pace yourself.
What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
For a while in my career, I worked with kids and their parents. I was good at it, and I think connecting with kids in therapy will always be something I’ll think about going back to someday.
Gradually, the focus and specialty of my therapy practice started shifting towards adults in their mid-20s to late-30s. It was not something I set out to do, but over time, I noticed my caseload turning over and becoming filled with Millenials. It’s not that people are coming in identifying themselves that way, but that there are consistent themes of identities shifting, re-evaluation of what was taught to them growing up, insecurities about the future, debilitating self-doubt, and ultimately, a longing and drive for connection, contribution to the world, and true self-worth. I feel my approach to therapy connects well with these themes, and it’s helped my business to grow.
So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well-positioned for?
There are so many talented, driven, intelligent women in Los Angeles. Just in the field of therapy, women are doing amazing trailblazing stuff such as using social media to transform traditional clinical jargon into everyday language so that people outside of the therapy field can understand the importance of mental health. I think opportunities for women entail examining the narratives they hold onto and differentiating what was laid out for them from the previous generation. We should always ask questions about defined roles, rules, and standards.
There continue to be systemic barriers to undo, but I think women are particularly well-positioned for bolstering other women. Women teaching women, women leading women, women role-modeling for women. I’m not saying that women should only work with each other, but so much of what is taught and understood about women’s roles, capabilities, and even bodies, are the ideas of men. I believe both women and men can benefit from a world where women’s voices and perspectives are more accessible and heard.
Contact Info:
- Address: 5619 North Figueroa Street, Highland Park
- Website: www.sharonyutherapy.com
- Phone: 626 538 7561
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharonyutherapy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharonyutherapy/
Image Credit:
Judy Yu (only for the profile pic)
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